Ben Pauling is confident Handstands will go on to bigger and better things after maintaining his unbeaten record with a comprehensive victory at Newcastle.
Bought for £135,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point in the autumn, the five-year-old made an immediate impact on his debut under rules when scoring impressively at Hereford last month.
Newcastle’s QuinnBet Best Odds Guaranteed Novices’ Hurdle appeared a gilt-edged opportunity for the son of Getaway to follow up under a penalty and he was priced up accordingly as the 2-7 favourite.
Those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns, with Handstands always travelling strongly in the hands of Ben Jones and a mistake at the final flight did little to stop as his momentum as he galloped on for a seven-length success over Taras Halls.
“That was everything we wanted to see really. I think he’s just a big, brave youngster that just needs some practice,” said Pauling.
“Although he won it very nicely, it was good to see him jump another round of hurdles, running on different ground, going left-handed instead of right-handed and he came up with all the goods.
“He’s got a sensible head on him, he popped the last and when Ben gave him a flick off he went. He’s got plenty of ability and he’s a lovely horse for the future.”
While Pauling is looking forward to raising his sights in the spring, a trip to the Cheltenham Festival may have to wait for another year.
Considering plans, the Gloucestershire handler added: “We’ll see how he comes out of this and whether we look at an EBF Final or a Sidney Banks, I’m not sure.
“I’ll speak to Tim (Radford, owner) and see where we want to go and what we want to do, but he’s looking well above average at this moment in time.
“I don’t know if he’s a Cheltenham horse this year, if I’m honest. If you saw him in a proper race it might be at Aintree, but who knows?
“We’ll probably leave all options open and won’t rule anything out, but to me he’s a chaser and a big, gorgeous, raw individual that probably wants to be looked after.”
Curley Finger bounced back to form for local trainer Rebecca Menzies in the QuinnBet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle.
The seven-year-old had failed to add to his tally since landing a valuable prize at Musselburgh last spring and was pulled up on his chasing debut and first start of this season at Carlisle.
A return to the smaller obstacles did not yield much improvement at Musselburgh on his next start either, but he showed his true colours in the north east, scoring by a length and a quarter under a positive ride from Nathan Moscrop as a well backed 7-2 shot.
“This ground wouldn’t be Curley Finger’s favourite, he won the Northern Lights (at Musselburgh) on a decent surface, so we were a little bit worried,” Menzies told Sky Sports Racing afterwards.
“We’ve had him entered everywhere trying to find some better ground and kind of got sick of waiting, so we just decided to run him while he’s in such good form.
“We tried chasing with him first time this season, he jumps very well at home but I think he needs a sound surface for that. He could well go chasing later on into the spring.”
Blazing Soldier (16-1) denied 6-5 favourite Two Auld Pals in the QuinnBet Acca Bonus Novices’ Hurdle.
The winner was making his first start under rules having hinted at promise in point-to-points.
“He’s a nice horse, we’ve had him six or eight weeks now and he’s shown us plenty and jumped well,” said trainer Mark Walford.
“His point-to-point form is sort of patchy, but if you look back when he finished third it was a very good race.
“He has a nice pedigree and has shown us enough at home to suggest he might run well, I didn’t think he’d win. We’ve just been treating him like a nice, young jumps horse and bringing him along steadily.”
Supreme Ventures Racing urges review of racing rule after Caymanas Park abandonments
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, have called for a review of Rule 44 (iii) enforced by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) following the cancellation of two races during the April 27 race meet at Caymanas Park.
In a press conference on Monday addressing the abandoned races, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe expressed frustration with the rule, highlighting its potential impact on the racing industry.
"This rule, unique to Jamaica, imposes a strict five-minute limit after the published post time for races at Caymanas Park," Sharpe stated. "It fails to account for various factors that can delay race starts and penalizes all stakeholders when races are abandoned, affecting punters, jockeys, grooms, trainers, owners, promoters, and the government."
Last year, Caymanas Park contributed over $260 million in combined taxes to the government's coffers. Sharpe urged the JRC to engage SVREL in discussions on Rule 44, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to address the rule's impact.
"We were not consulted during the initial discussions on this rule, and now, with two races abandoned in a single race day, our concerns have materialized," Sharpe explained. "SVREL is open to collaborating with the JRC to review and refine this amended rule."
Representatives from the Grooms Association, Jockeys Association, and the United Racehorse Trainers Association echoed SVREL's concerns and supported the call for a review of Rule 44.
Sharpe concluded by appealing to regulators, stakeholders, and the public to support the growth of the horseracing industry in Jamaica. "Horseracing has immense potential in Jamaica and can become a significant foreign exchange earner. Realizing this potential requires collaboration among all stakeholders."
SVREL has been operating Caymanas Park since March 2017 after the government divested the property. With investments exceeding J$4 billion in product enhancements and innovations like the Mouttet Mile, which boasts the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean, SVREL remains committed to advancing the horseracing experience in Jamaica.
Supreme Ventures Racing regrets abandonment of two races at Caymanas Park on Saturday
Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has expressed regret and disappointment following the abandonment of two races during the Saturday, April 27 race day at Caymanas Park in St Catherine, Jamaica.
The decision to abandon these races, SVREL said, was made in compliance with regulations set forth by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), leading to the refund of all related pools according to SVREL's Pari-mutuel rules.
According to the statement released by SVREL late Saturday, the abandonment of races number one and six, respectively, was declared by the stewards of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) due to delays that exceeded the permitted time frame as stipulated by Rule 44(iii).
Specifically, in race number one, scheduled to commence at 12:00 pm, a saddling issue with horse number five and a mandatory veterinary check for horse number eight, which reared and fell after exiting the saddling barn, resulted in delays beyond the allowable limit.
Similarly, race number six, slated for 3:10 pm, was delayed due to a horse running loose, ultimately leading to its abandonment by the stewards of the JRC.
SVREL explained that the recent amendments to Rule 44(iii), which came into effect from April 1, 2024, mandate strict adherence to race start times with a maximum allowance of five minutes after the published post time. SVREL noted that Jamaica is unique in enforcing such a rule without prior consultation with the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica.
The enforcement of this rule has led to financial losses for industry stakeholders, including owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, punters, and the promoter and as such the disruption caused by the abandonment of these races understandably resulted in unrest among stakeholder groups.
Despite the challenges faced, the race meet resumed with race number seven at approximately 4:00 pm, SVREL noted.
SVREL has now issued a sincere apology to valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of races one and six by the JRC. SVREL also emphasized its readiness for open dialogue with the JRC and all impacted stakeholders to ensure the continued success and integrity of the horseracing industry.
As the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica, SVREL said it remains committed to addressing challenges collaboratively and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service within the industry.
Light seeking to shine again at Sandown
Kitty’s Light is taking aim at his usual season finisher in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
The gelding has been a star for trainer Christian Williams, winning big handicap events like the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National and going close in the Charlie Hall and the Coral Trophy.
He has particularly good record in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, missing out only due to interference when second in 2021 and coming home third in 2022.
Last year he was completed the set of podium finishes when winning by two and a half lengths under usual jockey Jack Tudor.
The two are well acquainted and teamed up for Kitty’s Light’s Grand National bid at Aintree earlier in the month, where he ran a valiant race to finish fifth behind four Grade-One winning Irish chasers.
Williams was incredibly proud of his stable star and is now hoping the gelding can shine again in the Sandown contest he has found to be lucrative in the past.
“It was wonderful, we trained him to win the race and we thought he could, but you couldn’t be disappointed with what he did,” Williams said of the National performance.
“We were thrilled, the horse tried his best and we were very, very proud of horse and jockey.
“He’s come out of it very well, if the race was run today even then he’d be running, he’s in good form.
“He loves it at Sandown with the big fences, his jumping has come on now but even as a five-year-old he nearly won the race.
“He was third the year after that, it really seems to suit him.
“I think he likes going right-handed, he hangs a little bit right at home and he seems to really enjoy it there.
“We’re taking our chance anyway, he seems well and we’ll hope for the best.”
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